How to Communicate Effectively With Clients

Building a website for a client comes with many different challenges. One of the most critical for any web designer is facilitating an effective communication process between the client and the web designer.

In order to be successful in this area, here’s some great tips that can assist with the web designer and client relationship.

Web Designers Must Create an Active Listening Environment

It’s not uncommon for people to be involved in a conversation where one of the parties are not really listening to the things that the other person is saying. In fact, these are often times when a person may feel that they are simply talking to a break wall. Though some people may not be aware of the other person perceiving that this is occurring, this type of action can easily picked up by others when it happens to them.

To avoid these problems in a web designer/client relationship, it is essential that the web designer, with purpose, learn how to actively listen to the client. For instance, the designer should make sure that they are seeking to understand every thing that the client is saying, and they should make sure that are responding to the client by either answering their questions verbally or by the nodding of the head. In either case, the web designer should make sure that they are showing that they are actually listening by remaining engaged throughout the conversation.

Web designers should Be Aware of the differences in the Client’s technical knowledge

It is important to note that some clients are very well versed in web design practices and procedures, while others may be very limited in what they know. Because previous and current knowledge is a huge factor in communicating effectively, the web designer should always take this in consideration when speaking one on one, and in the actual development of client presentations. Which means, the web designer should make sure that they are familiar with how much the client knows about web design development prior to getting started. Two of the best ways to survey a client’s knowledge is to either ask them directly about their knowledge base. Or, to look for contact clues in the client’s expressions that says that they do or do not understand what’s being said about their web design development project.

Anticipate Client Responses and Questions

There are many ways to improve the communications between the web designer and the client. One of the best ways is for the web designer to anticipate the clients needs prior to the meetings that have been established. Even though the client may have a long list of questions that they may asks, when the web designer works hard enough, they can anticipate most or all of the questions that the client will have. For instance, if the web designer is addressing certain technical problems about the design of their site, the web designer can prepare themselves in advance by writing down any potential problems and the responses that they will provide to the client.

Communicating effectively with any client can be challenging. However, there are numerous ways to improve communications on a regular basis. Three of the top recommendations consists of creating an active listening environment, being aware of the differences in technical knowledge and anticipating the client’s needs.

I have clients in almost all corners of the world, and as a website designer, I strive to stay connected with all of them.
What’s important for me is the ability to present them with my portfolio of work, my contact information, and my CV all in one spot.
Social media just doesn’t give me that option, at least not in one place. At any time of the day or not, a potential client can find me and review my past designs.